n. [ Cf. F. abaissement. ] The act of abasing, humbling, or bringing low; the state of being abased or humbled; humiliation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. abatement, F. abattement. ] 1. The act of abating, or the state of being abated; a lessening, diminution, or reduction; removal or putting an end to; as, the abatement of a nuisance is the suppression thereof. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The amount abated; that which is taken away by way of reduction; deduction; decrease; a rebate or discount allowed. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Her.) A mark of dishonor on an escutcheon. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Law) The entry of a stranger, without right, into a freehold after the death of the last possessor, before the heir or devisee. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

Defense in abatement,
Plea in abatement, (Law), plea to the effect that from some formal defect (e.g. misnomer, lack of jurisdiction) the proceedings should be abated. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Renunciation. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A foreboding; an omen. [ Obs. ] “Abodements must not now affright us.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Abortment; abortion. [ Obs. ] Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a shortened version .
Syn. -- condensation, abridgment [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Physics) A unit of conductance equal to 109 mhos; -- the inverse of the abohm.
Syn. -- abmho [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. Acclimation. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F., fr. accoucher to be delivered of a child, to aid in delivery, OF. acouchier orig. to lay down, put to bed, go to bed; L. ad + collocare to lay, put, place. See Collate. ] Delivery in childbed [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. accouplement. ] 1. The act of coupling, or the state of being coupled; union. [ R. ] Caxton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which couples, as a tie or brace. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. an item of clothing that is worn or carried, but not part of one's main clothing.
Syn. -- accessory, accouterment [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ } n. pl. [ F. accoutrement, earlier also accoustrement, earlier also accoustrement. See Accouter. ] Dress; trappings; equipment; specifically, the devices and equipments worn by soldiers. [ 1913 Webster ]

How gay with all the accouterments of war! [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Physiol.) Pertaining to accremention. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See accresce, Increment. ] (Physiol.) The process of generation by development of blastema, or fission of cells, in which the new formation is in all respects like the individual from which it proceeds. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. acusement. See Accuse. ] Accusation. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. ] Savage fierceness; ferocity. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. achèvement, E. Hatchment. ] 1. The act of achieving or performing; an obtaining by exertion; successful performance; accomplishment; as, the achievement of his object. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A great or heroic deed; something accomplished by valor, boldness, or praiseworthy exertion; a feat. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ The exploits ] of the ancient saints . . . do far surpass the most famous achievements of pagan heroes. Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

The highest achievements of the human intellect. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Her.) An escutcheon or ensign armorial; now generally applied to the funeral shield commonly called hatchment. Cussans. [ 1913 Webster ]

/mhw>, n. 1. The act of acknowledging; admission; avowal; owning; confession. “An acknowledgment of fault.” Froude. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The act of owning or recognizing in a particular character or relationship; recognition as regards the existence, authority, truth, or genuineness; a statement acknowledging something or someone. [ 1913 Webster +WordNet 1.5 ]

Immediately upon the acknowledgment of the Christian faith, the eunuch was baptized by Philip. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The owning of a benefit received; courteous recognition; the state or quality of being recognized or acknowledged; an expression of thanks. Shak.
Syn. -- recognition [ 1913 Webster +WordNet 1.5 ]

4. Something given or done in return for a favor, message, etc. Smollett. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A declaration or avowal of one's own act, to give it legal validity; as, the acknowledgment of a deed before a proper officer. Also, the certificate of the officer attesting such declaration. [ 1913 Webster ]

Acknowledgment money, in some parts of England, a sum paid by copyhold tenants, on the death of their landlords, as an acknowledgment of their new lords. Cowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Confession; concession; recognition; admission; avowal; recognizance. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of acquiring, or that which is acquired; attainment. “Rules for the acquirement of a taste.” Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

His acquirements by industry were . . . enriched and enlarged by many excellent endowments of nature. Hayward. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Acquisition, Acquirement. Acquirement is used in opposition to a natural gift or talent; as, eloquence, and skill in music and painting, are acquirements; genius is the gift or endowment of nature. It denotes especially personal attainments, in opposition to material or external things gained, which are more usually called acquisitions; but this distinction is not always observed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of adoring; adoration. [ Obs. ] Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. avancement, F. avancement. See Advance, v. t. ] 1. The act of advancing, or the state of being advanced; progression; improvement; furtherance; promotion to a higher place or dignity; as, the advancement of learning. [ 1913 Webster ]

In heaven . . . every one (so well they love each other) rejoiceth and hath his part in each other's advancement. Sir T. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

True religion . . . proposes for its end the joint advancement of the virtue and happiness of the people. Horsley. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An advance of money or value; payment in advance. See Advance, 5. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) Property given, usually by a parent to a child, in advance of a future distribution. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Settlement on a wife, or jointure. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. avertisement, formerly also spelled advertissement, a warning, giving notice, fr. avertir. ] 1. The act of informing or notifying; notification. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

An advertisement of danger. Bp. Burnet. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Admonition; advice; warning. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Therefore give me no counsel:
My griefs cry louder than advertisement. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A public notice, especially a paid notice in some public print; anything that advertises; as, a newspaper containing many advertisements. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. avisement, F. avisement, fr. aviser. See Advise, and cf. Avisement. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Counsel; advice; information. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

And mused awhile, waking advisement takes of what had passed in sleep. Daniel. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Consideration; deliberation; consultation. [ 1913 Webster ]

Tempering the passion with advisement slow. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. ] 1. A fortress; a fortification for defense. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A reënforcement; a strengthening. Hallam. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. affranchissement. ] The act of making free; enfranchisement. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Previously mentioned; before-mentioned. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. agrandissement. ] The act of aggrandizing, or the state of being aggrandized or exalted in power, rank, honor, or wealth; exaltation; enlargement; as, the emperor seeks only the aggrandizement of his own family. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Augmentation; exaltation; enlargement; advancement; promotion; preferment. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. agrément. ] 1. State of agreeing; harmony of opinion, statement, action, or character; concurrence; concord; conformity; as, a good agreement subsists among the members of the council. [ 1913 Webster ]

What agreement hath the temple of God with idols ? 2 Cor. vi. 16. [ 1913 Webster ]

Expansion and duration have this further agreement. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Gram.) Concord or correspondence of one word with another in gender, number, case, or person. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) (a) A concurrence in an engagement that something shall be done or omitted; an exchange of promises; mutual understanding, arrangement, or stipulation; a contract. (b) The language, oral or written, embodying reciprocal promises. Abbott. Brande & C. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Bargain; contract; compact; stipulation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Alignment. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ The Eng. form alinement is preferable to alignment, a bad spelling of the French ]. New Eng. Dict. (Murray). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Allegation. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

With many complaints and allegements. Bp. Sanderson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act alluring; temptation; enticement. [ 1913 Webster ]

Though Adam by his wife's allurement fell. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which allures; any real or apparent good held forth, or operating, as a motive to action; as, the allurements of pleasure, or of honor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The condition of being amazed; bewilderment [ Obs. ]; overwhelming wonder, as from surprise, sudden fear, horror, or admiration. [ 1913 Webster ]

His words impression left
Of much amazement. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Frenzy; madness. [ Obs. ] Webster (1661). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. amerciment. ] The infliction of a penalty at the discretion of the court; also, a mulct or penalty thus imposed. It differs from a fine, in that the latter is, or was originally, a fixed and certain sum prescribed by statute for an offense; but an amercement is arbitrary. Hence, the act or practice of affeering. [ See Affeer. ] Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This word, in old books, is written amerciament. [ 1913 Webster ]

Amercement royal, a penalty imposed on an officer for a misdemeanor in his office. Jacobs. [ 1913 Webster ]

v., n., a., n. Same as Amortize, Amortization, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. amortissement. ] Same as Amortization. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. amusement. ] 1. Deep thought; muse. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Here I . . . fell into a strong and deep amusement, revolving in my mind, with great perplexity, the amazing change of our affairs. Fleetwood. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The state of being amused; pleasurable excitement; that which amuses; diversion. [ 1913 Webster ]

His favorite amusements were architecture and gardening. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Diversion; entertainment; recreation; relaxation; pastime; sport. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Horol.) (a) The common recoil escapement. (b) A variety of the lever escapement with a wide impulse pin. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. The act of announcing, or giving notice; that which announces; proclamation; publication. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of appeasing, or the state of being appeased; pacification. Hayward. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Appraise. Cf. Apprizement. ] The act of setting the value; valuation by an appraiser; estimation of worth. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Appraisement. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Obs. ] 1. Approbation. [ 1913 Webster ]

I did nothing without your approvement. Hayward. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Eng. Law) a confession of guilt by a prisoner charged with treason or felony, together with an accusation of his accomplish and a giving evidence against them in order to obtain his own pardon. The term is no longer in use; it corresponded to what is now known as turning king's (or queen's) evidence in England, and state's evidence in the United States. Burrill. Bouvier. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Old Eng. Law) Improvement of common lands, by inclosing and converting them to the uses of husbandry for the advantage of the lord of the manor. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. arrangement. ] 1. The act of arranging or putting in an orderly condition; the state of being arranged or put in order; disposition in suitable form. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The manner or result of arranging; system of parts disposed in due order; regular and systematic classification; as, arrangement of one's dress; the Linnæan arrangement of plants. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Preparatory proceeding or measure; preparation; as, we have made arrangement for receiving company. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Settlement; adjustment by agreement; as, the parties have made an arrangement between themselves concerning their disputes; a satisfactory arrangement. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Mus.) (a) The adaptation of a composition to voices or instruments for which it was not originally written. (b) A piece so adapted; a transcription; as, a pianoforte arrangement of Beethoven's symphonies; an orchestral arrangement of a song, an opera, or the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F., fr. arrondir to make round; ad + rond round, L. rotundus. ] A subdivision of a department. [ France ] [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The territory of France, since the revolution, has been divided into departments, those into arrondissements, those into cantons, and the latter into communes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Aspiration. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. assouagement, asuagement. ] Mitigation; abatement. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Literally, a setting at one.) Reconciliation; restoration of friendly relations; agreement; concord. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

By whom we have now received the atonement. Rom. v. 11. [ 1913 Webster ]

He desires to make atonement
Betwixt the Duke of Gloucester and your brothers. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Satisfaction or reparation made by giving an equivalent for an injury, or by doing of suffering that which will be received in satisfaction for an offense or injury; expiation; amends; -- with for. Specifically, in theology: The expiation of sin made by the obedience, personal suffering, and death of Christ. [ 1913 Webster ]

When a man has been guilty of any vice, the best atonement be can make for it is, to warn others. Spectator. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Phocians behaved with, so much gallantry, that they were thought to have made a sufficient atonement for their former offense. Potter. [ 1913 Webster ]

Day of Atonement (Jewish Antiq.), the only fast day of the Mosaic ritual, celebrated on the tenth day of the seventh month (Tishri), according to the rites described in Leviticus xvi. Also called Yom Kippur. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. Intent. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Attire; adornment. [ 1913 Webster ]